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State Helping End East Porterville Water Problems Caused By Drought

FRESNO, Calif. (CBS13/AP) - Officials say families in a poor community where hundreds of wells dried up during California's record drought will soon have clean water again flowing into their homes.

State water officials on Wednesday revealed plans to spend $10 million in the Tulare County's East Porterville. Officials will connect the residents to a neighboring city's water system.

East Porterville was a central point of CBS13's drought coverage as wells ran dry. In August 2014, hundreds of homes were left without water for weeks, as residents struggled getting water into their homes. Officials believed the problem was even worse, because residents were afraid to report their wells had gone dry out of fear their landlords would evict them.

The following year, things were even worse as families began leaving for other states, and even Mexico as the water crisis deepened. There were reports of neighbors becoming hostile with the water haulers, because they didn't want their dwindling well water to be taken elsewhere. In one case, people reportedly parked their cars, trying to form a barricade to keep the truck from getting to that well. Another time it got so tense, the sheriff's department was called out.

WATCH: California Drought Could Wipe Cities Off Map If Their Water Runs Out (July 28, 2015)

Resident Tomas Garcia says hope is returning to his neighborhood.

He says that in America today water is a right for everybody, not just the wealthy.

Officials say they plan to have 500 homes connected by the end of the year.

 

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.

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